Fibro Not All the Same

I think some of the reason so many fibromyalgia sufferers don't seek help sooner is because of the way fibro is described. I remember wondering for over year if I had it, but every time I would look it up it just didn't seem to fit. Descriptions almost always say overall pain in four quadrants of the body. If you read that you'd think you had to have pain in every inch of your body all the time. That is so not true. When my fibro flares I can have neck, shoulder and arm pains like I'm having now. Next time I might have collarbone and leg pains. And while, to some degree, I feel like I hurt all over, the real pain is quite defined to specific regions, but isn't always the same regions. Sometimes the pain will even move around from place to place during a single flare.

It wasn't until I was having collarbone pain that I finally decided I needed to talk to a specialist. I figured collarbones are a strange place to have pain that has no cause, but what kept me from seeking help sooner was just the way fibro was described. I don't think what we read online describes it at all. The descriptions are too broad and generalized. It all seems to pinpoint these particular pain points, making it seem like the pain MUST be at these places all at the same time. I've had finger and toe pain. I've had scalp pain. Those aren't on the typical fibro pain chart.

I think if it were described better more people would seek treatment sooner because they would recognize their symptoms.

So true.. I've had scalp pain.. which I thought was the worst and scary..I've had finger pain toe pain .. so every time I hear other people say things that have happened to me , it just gives me more validation and confirmation that I have fibro .. the things that happen are just so crazy it's hard to just settle for fibro because it makes me think that something even worse is happening.. but yes it alll has to do with nervous system